Printing machine kicker mechanism



June 9, 1931. E. 'r. MORRIS ET AL 1,809,389

I PRINTING MACHINE KICKER MECHANISM Filed Jan. 19, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 1931. v E. 'r. MORRIS ETAL I ,38

PRINTING MACHINE KICKER MECHANISM Filed Jan. 19, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 9, 1931. E. 'r. MORRIS ET AL 8 PRINTING MACHINE KICKER MECHANISM Filed Jan. 19; 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 June 9, 1931. E. r. MORRIS ET AL PRINTING MACHINE KICKER MECHANISM File J n- 1 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 E; 'r. MORRIS :1- AL 1,809,389

PRINTING MACHINE KICKER MECHANISM Filed Jan. 19, 1923 5 Shgets-Sheet 5 June 9,- 1 93.1.

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Patented June 9, 1931 siren STATES EDWARD THOMAS MORRIS AN,iD THOMAS JOSEPH MILL- S, F

TO B. HOE AND (70., ING, OF NEW YORZ, N. Y.

SIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK LONDON, ENGLAND, AS-

I PRINTING MACHINE KICKEB. MECHANISM Application filed January 19, 1923, Serial No. 613,830, antl'in Great Britain: January This invention relates to printing machines and more especially to improved means for enabling the number of copies of a newspaper or the like which is deposited on a delivery belt to be counted.

In order to enable the number of copies of a newspaper or the like which has been printed to be readily counted, printing machines have commonly been provided with kickers which, after a certain predetermined number of papers has been deposited ontoa delivery belt so forming a pile thereon, cause the next copy to .be laid slightly in advance of the previous copy so that it proects beyond the pile and can readily be seen. A kicker commonly comprised a bent arm carried by a lever which was mounted'on a rocking shaft and was provided with a roller which'rode on thecircumference of a disc clamped. by means of a set screw or the like on the rotating shaft, the disc having one or more recesses in its circumference into which the roller dropped, thus allowing the lever to be tilt-ed and the'kicker (or kickers) to deflect a falling copy from its normal path so that it fell onto thedelivery belt in. advance of the previous copy. With. this arrangement if it were found that the kickers were actuated at the wrong time it'. was necessary to stop the machine, slacken: the set screw,movethe disc backwards or forwards a distance which the o'perator judged to be correct-,re-tighten the set screw and restart the -machine;moreover, though a skilled:operatorzcanusually make a fairly correct adjustment when the machine does not exceed a certain speed, it hasbeen found that when the machine is runat a higher speed the difliculiyof correctly adj usting the disc is greatly increased.

The main object of our invention is to overcome these disadvantages.

According to our invention we provide a printing machine with means which enable the kicker mechanism to be adjusted whilst the'printing machine is in operation.

In one way of carrying out our invention a kicker is' carried by a lever which is fast on a rocking shaft, and is providedwith a roller adapted to ride on the circumference of a described,

rotating disc having one or more recesses into I which the roller can fall in the known manner'. The axle for the roller however in place of being mounted in fixed relation to the ever is carried by a rod which is slidably mounted in the lever, relative rotationgbetween the rod and lever being prevented by a key and keyway, splines or the like. A part of the rod is screw threaded to receive a worm wheel screwing thereon, movement in an axial direction of the worm wheel being prevented by the lever; Gearing with the worm wheel is a worm on one end of a spindle also mounted in bearings on lever-whiclrisffast with the rocking shaft, and provided with a tooth-ed wheel meshing with a t'oo hed wheel fast with a sleeve which is rotatably mounted on the rocking shaft. The sleeve is provided with a bevel wheel meshing with a second bevel wheel fast on one end of a red the other end of which is provided with hand wheel which can be actuaied by the fly hand or other operator.

It will be-seen that if the hand wheel be turned the roller will be moved towards or away from the rocking shaft by the gearing and the time at which the kicker is actuated will be correspondingly altered, and that this can be effected whilst the printing machine is running. 1

Obviously the end f the rod could' be provided with a projection or boss instead of a roller, the said projection being movable towards or away from the rock'ingshaft, and any other form of cam'ca'n be substitutedfor the disc and'recesses.

Ina modification the roller is mountedin fixed relation to the lever and the disc in place of being fast with. the rotating shaft is so mounted that its position relatively to the shaft can be altered whilst the printing machine is running. This may be effected by rotating a sleevewhich is loosely mounted on the rotating-shaft and hasf'ast with it a toothed wheel "gearing with wheel fast on one end of an" aXle carried by a lever fast with the rotating shaft' The other end of the axle has mounted thereon a toothed wheel gearing with an interthe lever, the other end of'the spindle being mounted in bearings on a second a toothed mediate wheel on the lever which latter wheel gears wit-h a toothed wheel fast with the disc which actuates the kicker.

In a further modification the kicker disc is fast with a shaft provided with a bevel wheel gearing with a bevel wheel on one end of a spindle, the other end of which is provided with a worm wheel gearing with a worm which is slidably mounted on the fly shaft. This worm is provided with'means whereby it can be slidden along the fly shaft by rotating a hand wheel, thus altering the time at which the kickers are actuated.

In a further modification similar to the arrangement first described, the roller can be moved along a slot in the rocking lever towards or away from the rocking shaft by a screwed rod which can be turned by hand.

In the accompanying drawings which show those parts of a printing machine necessary to illustrate the invention, Figure 1 is an elevation and Figure 2 is a plan thereof; Figures 3 and 4 show a modification, Figure 3 being an elevation and Figure 4 a side view to a larger scale of Figure 3; Figures 5 and 6 show a further modification, Figure 5 being an elevation and Figure 6 a side view of Figure 5; Figures 7 and 8 show a further modification, Figure 7 being an elevation and F igure 8 a plan view of Figure 7.

Referring more particularly to Figures 1 and 2, 1 is a shaft adapted to rock in bearings on the framework 2 of a printing machine. Fast with the shaft 1 is a kicker 3 and an arm 4. 5 is a rod slidably mounted in the arm 4 and having one end' screw threaded the other end being forked to receive a roller 6, adapted to ride on the circumference of a disc 7 fast with a shaft 8 which is rotated by the mechanism .(not shown) which drives the printing machine. Formed in the periphery of the disc recesses 9 into which the roller 6 can fall. The arm 4 is forked or slotted to receive a worm wheel 10 which screws upon the threaded end of the rod 5 and gears with a worm 11 fast with one end of a spindle 12 mounted in a bearing on the arm 4, the other end of the spindle 12- being mounted in a bearing on the second arm 13 fast with the rocking'shaft 1, and provided with a toothed wheel 14 meshing with a toothed wheel 15 fast with a sleeve 16 which is rotatably mounted on the rocking'shaft 1. Fast with the sleeve 16 is a bevel wheel 17 meshing with a bevel wheel 18 fast on one end of a rod 19, rotatably mounted in bearings 20 carried by the framework 2.

The other end of the rod 19 is provided with a hand wheel 21 which can be turned by the fly hand or other operator. 22 are the usual rotary flies and 23 a smoother.

In operation if the hand wheel 21 be turned the worm wheel 10 will be rotated through the bevel wheels 17, 18, toothed wheels 14,

7 are 15, and worm 11, the rod 5 carrying the roller 6 will thereby be slid in its bearing on the arm 4 towards or away from the rocking shaft 1 and the time at which a recess 9 1n the disc 7 comes opposite to the roller 6 is altered and consequently the time at which the kicker 13 will be actuated is correspondingly altered. It will be seen that thus can be effected whilst the printing machine is running.

In the modification shown in Figures 3 and 4, the kicker (not shown) is, as in Figure 1, fast on a rocking shaft 1, the roller 6 is however mounted in fixed relation to the shaft, that is, it cannot be moved towards or away from the rocking shaft 1. The disc 7 in place of being fast with the rotating shaft 8 is so mounted that its position relatively to the shaft 8 can be altered whilst the printing machine is running. In order to effect this the rod 19 actuated by the hand wheel 21 is screw threaded to engage a nut 24 carried by an arm 25 fast with a sleeve 26 rotatably mounted on the shaft 8. Fast with the sleeve 26 is a toothed wheel. 27 gearing with a toothed wheel 28 fast on one end of an axle 29 mounted in bearings on an arm 30 fast with the rotating shaft 8. The other end of the axle 29 has mounted thereon a toothed wheel 31 gearing with an intermediate wheel 32 on the arm 30 which latter wheel gears with a toothed wheel fast with the disc 7 which is rotatably mounted on the shaft 8.

In operation when the hand wheel 21 is turned the disc 7 is turned relatively to the shaft 8 so that the time at which a recess 9 comes opposite to the roller 6 is altered and consequently the time at which the kicker is actuated is correspondingly altered.

In themodification shown in Figures 5 and 6, the disc 7 is fast with the rotating shaft 8. 34 is a bevel wheel also fast with the shaft 8 and gearing with a bevel wheel 35 fast on one end of a spindle 36, mounted in bearings on the framework 2.

The: other end of the spindle 36 is provided with a worm wheel 37 gearing with a worm 33 which is splined mounted on a shaft 22a carrying the flies which are ordinarily employed on been omitted from the drawings for the sake of clearness. The worm-38 is provided with collars 39 engaged by the forked end of a lever 40 pivoted at 41 to the framework 2.

Theother end of the lever 40 has pivoted to it a rod 42 slidably mounted in a bearing 43 on the framework 2. The rod 42 is screw threaded to receive a worm wheel 44 which is located in a slotin the bearing 43 and gears with a worm 45 on the rod 19 actuated by the hand wheel 21.

. In operation when thehand wheel 21 is turned the position of the disc 7 relatively to the flies 22 is altered and consequently the printing machines and which have time atwhich the kicker is actuated relativelyto the flies is correspondingly altered.

In the modification [shown in Figures 7 and 8, the rocking shaft 1 has fast on it a kicker as in Figure 1 and has also fast on it an arm or lever 4. The roller-dis rotatably mounted upon apin having a squared portionwhich can slide in a slot 46 in the lever 4. Through the squared portion of the pin 45is a' screw threaded hole to receive the threaded end of a rod 47 which passes through the end of the lever 4 and is provided with an actuating handle or knob 48 having in its face a number of hollows 49. The end of the lever 4 is recessed to receive a spring 50 and ball 52 which latter is pressed by the spring 50 into engagement with one or other of the hollows 49 and prevents the handle 48 from rotating except when turned by the operator.

In operation if it is necessary to alter the time at which the kicker is actuated either when the machine is running or is stationary, this is effected by turning the handle 48 which moves the pin 45 and roller 6 along the slot 46 in the lever 4 towards oraway from the rocking shaft 1 and so alters the time at which the roller 6 drops into a recess in the disc 7.

It is to be understood that the roller 6 in the forms shown and described is employed as is usual to avoid friction and that the lever 4 could be provided with a projectioninstead of a roller, and the term projection in the claims is intended to include a roller.

lVhat we claim is 1. In a printing machine, the combination of a kicker mechanism for displacing a newspaper to indicate a group consisting of a predetermined number of papers, means for adjusting the timing of'the kicker mechanism, and means normally stationary relatively to the adjusting mechanism but operable while the machine'is' running for-actuating said mechanism.

2. In'means for actuating the kicker of a printing machine for displacing a newspaper to indicate a group consisting of a predetermined number of papers, the combination of an actuator, means normally stationary for operating the actuator, and relatively stationary means operable while the machine'is running for effecting a relative movementbetween the actuator and its operating means for adjusting the timing of the kicker.

3. In means for actuating the kicker of a printing machine for displacing a newspaper to indicate a group consisting of a predetermined number of papers, the combination of an actuator roll, an operating cam, and means normally stationary but operable while the machine is running for effecting a relative movement between the roll and the cam for adjusting the timing of the kicker.

4. In means for actuating the kicker of a printing machine for displacing a newspaper to indicate a group consisting of a predetermined number of papers, the combination of a rocking lever, a rotating shaft, a cam mounted on the shaft and adapted to actuate the said lever and means normally stationary but operable while the printing machine is running, for adjusting the timing of the kicker. I

5. In means for actuating the kicker of a printing machine, the combination of a shaft carrying the flies and connected by gearing to the shaft carrying a kicker operating cam, and means whereby the shaft carrying the kicker operating cam can be rotated relatively to the fly shaft while the machine is run ning. v i

6. In means for actuating the kicker of a printing machine, the combination of an actuator roll, an operating cam, a shaft manually operable while the machine is running, and connections from the shaft for effecting a relative movement between the roll and the cam for adjusting the timing of the kicker.

7. A newspaper counting mechanism inpendently of'the movement of the newspa- 9O eluding in combination means operable indepers for displacing a newspaper to indicate a group consisting of a predetermined number'of papers, and adjusting means to control said displacing means to obtain a nicety of adjustment.

8. A newspaper counting mechanism inv eluding in combination means for designating a newspaper to indicate a group consisting of a predetermined number of papers,

and geared adjustable means to control said designating means to obtain a nicety of adj ustment.

9. A new eluding in combination means for designating a newspaper to indicate a group consisting of a predetermined number of papers, an

adjustable cam to control said designating means to obtain a nicety of adjustment, and means for driving said cam continuously, and independently of the presence of the newspapers. I a

1.0. A newspaper counting mechanism including in combination means including a flipper for designating a newspaper to indicate a group consisting of a predetermined number of papers, and geared means to control said flipper.

' 11. newspaper counting mechanism including in combination a flipper for designating a newspaper to indicate a group consist-ing of a predetermined number of papers, rotary means to control said' flipper and continuously driven means; operable independently of the movement of the newspapers, for actuating the flipper.

12. A newspaper counting mechanism including in combination a flipper'for -desigriat ing a newspaper to indicate a group consistspaper counting mechanism in ing of a predetermined number of papers, an adjustable cam to control said flipper, and continuously driven means, operable inclependently of the movement of the newspall pers, for actuating the flipper.

13. A newspaper counting mechanism including in combination means operable independently of the movement of the newspapers, for designating a newspaper to indicate a group consistin of a predetermined number of papers and means to control said designating means to obtain a nicety of adjustment while the press is running.

14. A newspaper counting mechanism including in combination continuously driven means, operating independently of the presence of the newspapers, for designating a newspaper to indicate a group consisting of a predetermined number of papers, and an adjustable cam to control said designating means to obtain a nicety of adjustment, said cam being adapted to be adjusted while the press is running.

15. A newspaper counting mechanism including in combination means including a flipper for designating a newspaper to indicate a group consisting of a predetermined number of papers, means to control said flip- 7 per while the press is running, and means for periodically actuating the flipper, independ- 'ently of the movement of the newspapers.

16. A newspaper counting mechanism including in combination means including a flipper for designating a newspaper to indicate a group consisting of a predetermined number of papers, flipper actuating means and a slidingworm gear for adjusting or rectifying the position of the flipper actuating means.

17 A newspaper counting mechanism including in combination a rotary fly, a flipper finger for displacing a newspaper to mark a group of a predetermined number, an actuating cam therefor, a continuously driven shaft on which the cam is mounted, and intermeshing members for nicely variably positioning the cam relatively to its shaft.

18. A newspaper counting mechanism ineluding in combination a rotary fly, a flipper finger for displacing a newspaper to mark a group of a predetermined number, and an actuating cam therefor operable independently of the presence of the newspapers, a driving shaft on which the cam is mounted and intermeshing geared members for nicely variably positioning the cam relatively to its shaft.

19. In means for actuating the kicker mechanism of a printing machine, the combination of an actuator roll, an operating cam, a rock shaft, an arm on the shaft in which the roll is slidably mounted, and a rod operable while the machine i running for effecting a movement of the roll relatively to the cam for adjusting the timing of the kicker.

20. In means for actuating the kicker mech- EDVARD THOMAS MORRIS. THOMAS JOSEPH MILLS. 

